New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Feb. 4. 1873

Washington, Feb. 4. 1887.
With the National Woman's Rights
Association in convention here, with
National Convocation of the G. T. u,
of which Miss Frances Willard is pres
ident; with a Catholic convention; the
social season at its height, and Con-
gress struggling with dozen impor-
tant questions, the past week at the
Capital has been at the same time inter-
esting and amusing, serious and gay.
The woman suffra gists came and
fought and failed, just as they have been
in the habit Of doingfor the past nineteen
successive winters. But they again con-
demned their oppressors, cherished
their faith and renewed their VOWS.
They are as enthusiastic, resolute and
hopeful as in years gone by, and they
are jubilant over the fact that sixteen
Senators voted for their proposed Con-
stitutional amendment allowing spec
pie to vote, regardless of sex They
claim that eleven more Senators would
have voted in their favor had they been
in the Senate Chamber when the am
endment was called up. That there
are twenty-seven votes in all and if true,
one third of the u. S. Senate friendly
to woman suffrage.
The prominent leaders of the move
ment were all here as usual, except
Mrs. Elisabeth Cady Stanton, who is in
England now. They tell OF their
wrong as pathetically and plead for
their rights as eloquently as they did
when they were thirty or forty years
younger, and perhaps more so, for time
has made them rich in experiences, and
they have more to tell and to talk
about every winter.
Mrs Hooker declared that the Con-
stitution already guarantees to women
the right to vote. The only trouble is
that men will not learn by heart that
women are people. Mrs Wallace, who
is one of the NEST earnest workers in
cause of woman's enfranchisment. de-
livered an address on the subject. that
was pronounced the feature of the con-
ventlon. She is deeply conscientious
in believing that God has called her to
this work, and she speaks with1the, con-
viction and solemnity of a Divinely in
spired messenger. She said among
other things that the next statue of
Liberty would wear the face of Susan
B. Anthony. Mrs. Wallace is the
mother of Gen Lew Wallace, who wrote
Ben Hur. A committee of these ladies
went to the president with a memorial
asking him to veto the Edmunds-Tuck-
er bill, which proposes to disfranchise
the nen.polygamous women of Utah,
in case it passes Congress as finally a.
mended, and comes before him for ac-
ton. Mr.. Cleveland received them in
one of the private parlors and told them
he would give the memorial careful
consideration, and that he regarded it
as serious matter to disfranchise any
class.
Senator Beck has at last succeeded in
getting his bill before the Senate pro-
hibiting members from acting as attor-
neys for railroads. Senator Teller an
nounced that he was prepared to vote
against the measure Notwithstanding
newspaper clamor, and notwithstand-
ing the effort made to attract attention
to the fact that the Senate was body
of lawyers, and the charge that Sena-
tors were devoting to the. practice of
Jaw for railroad corporation the time
which they should devote to the public
service. He believed Congressman
should studiously abstain from employ
meut of that kind, but he argued that
men who came to Congress did not
therefore give up their business and
professions. He said an efortshad been
made to deride the Senate, to break it
down, to destroy its usefulness and thus
eventually compel tits abolition. But
this could not be accomplished so long
as Delaware and Rhode Island insisted
on the right given them by the Consti-
tuition.
Others followed for and against the
bill, and in the midst of the debate SEN
ator Frye of Maine took the floor, in or
der, he said, to give q piece of informa-
ton. He read an Associated Press tel
egram from Eastport, Me, stating that
the winter school of herring had struck
into the American shore, and that a.
bout twenty five English boats and yes
sells were there fishing within the shore
line, and that meanwhile the English
cruiser Middleton was cruising near
Eastport and st. Andrews, ready to
seize any American fishermen who
might venture beyond the dead line.
That was all. he said, and the debate
proceeded.
Messrs Frye and ingalls, were the
Senators who last week championed the
retaliatory bill for the protection Of
American fishermen with so much
warmth and bitterness. Mr. INGALLS, has
since been sleluged with congratulatory
letters from the States and insolent de-
nunciations from Canada.
Free Trade.